


Flightless Bird

by Siana



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-25
Updated: 2015-02-25
Packaged: 2018-03-15 05:44:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3435647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Siana/pseuds/Siana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>The last thing his dying eyes saw was an endless sky of beautiful blue.</em>
</p><p>Entry for 2015's rarepair battle held by BPS.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flightless Bird

“I wonder how it would be to be like a bird.” Kuroko stared past the gilded window bars of his room. Outside, the sky was overcast and grey, as it had been the last few days. Mayuzumi opted not to reply. Invoking the imagery of a caged bird may have been fitting the situation, but lacked merit. There was nothing either of the two could do about it.

Kuroko’s face was almost serene in its celebrated indifference. A mask Mayuzumi was no longer fooled by. Kuroko was likely cooking something up, undoubtedly to exacerbate the already annoyingly taxing task of safeguarding the oracle.

“I won’t take you outside.” Mayuzumi forestalled the suggestion he was sure to come.

The shift in Kuroko’s expression was minute, but glaringly obvious to the expertise Mayuzumi had garnered in reading him. “I wasn’t implying a desire to leave today.” Kuroko’s voice was even and even more disguising than his face. His sky blue eyes were as guarded as ever. An odd trait that one, but oracles always distinguished themselves through physical appearance. In Kuroko it had taken the form of light blue eyes and hair.

Mayuzumi’s smile was sardonic. Kuroko Tetsuya was invaluable to the High Temple of the Blue. The clairvoyant potency of his bloodline allowed him glimpses into the future, sometimes even more than glimpses. As such Kuroko was eternally confined to the temple and Mayuzumi designated his keeper.

Kuroko couldn’t control his powers; bouts came and went at random. All the more important to have someone with him to record any and all predictions. Lately though, Kuroko had offered little insight into the future, a fact the Cobalt King was growing wary of. Results needed to be produced. In an effort to spur Kuroko’s clairvoyance Mayuzumi had taken him outside not so long ago, but all it had afforded to was a near run-in with a band of bandits. And unpredicted near run-in. Now, Mayuzumi was all the more sure to retain Kuroko inside.

“Do you want another book?” Mayuzumi offered as a form of pacification. Not an apology though. Kuroko was a brat under the veneer of icy cool composure, throwing tantrums in artfully disguised forms, but tantrums nonetheless. Mayuzumi suspected muted rebellion behind the latest dry spell, as much as he was sure that Kuroko possessed more control than he let on.

“No thank you.” Kuroko answered blandly. He might as well have spelled out his disdain. Books were Mayuzumi’s choice pick to placate Kuroko’s moods, regardless of occasion. As such, Kuroko loathed the offer more often than not.

It was quite obvious to everyone with eyes that they didn’t get along. Kuroko was a spoiled brat in Mayuzumi’s opinion, never had to work a day of hard labor in his life, on top of being presented with almost anything his heart desired at a moment’s notice. Offering one’s freedom for luxury was a rather small price in Mayuzumi’s own opinion. Mayuzumi on the other hand had been born poor, forced to work from early on in his life, just to get by. He had earned his spot as the oracle’s keeper through hard work and dedication, both characteristics that were utterly foreign to the spoiled brat in his care.

He hadn’t liked Kuroko from the first moment they met. They were too similar - born to poor parents, a diminutive presence that served them well to go undetected - but Kuroko had been born with a gift that put him far above the rest of them. He had done nothing in his life to deserve it.

Silk rustles softly as Kuroko rose from his cushioned seat. The flowing vestments of his status made him seem regal, despite his small stature. A twined silver tiara circled his head, a small tear drop shaped stone hung atop his brows - a gift from the Cobalt King.

“I would like to take a walk.” Kuroko said curtly and walked out without waiting for a reply. Mayuzumi groaned inwardly, before rushing after him. Taking a walk usually consisted of strolling through the temple garden in the courtyard; a sight that was nigh changing but Kuroko never seemed to grow tired of it.

Kuroko walked briskly through the temple walkways, and even though they passed servants and priests alike, none paid them any heed. Mayuzumi may have attracted a few greetings from more observant individuals, but Kuroko went completely unnoticed.

He had done that a few times in the early days of their relationship. Kuroko had diminished his presence and tried to slip through Mayuzumi’s grasp, but to little avail. Consequentially, he had been the first in a long line of caretakers that managed to keep their job for longer than a few months.

The air outside was cool and suffused with the first bite of winter chill. Mayuzumi was grateful for the thick padding of his uniform that kept the worst of it away. Kuroko however must have felt the chill quite intimately in his thin silk garb. Not that it stopped him.

Kuroko followed the small pathway that led past the stone well and into the further parts of the courtyard. The garden was nestled in the space between temple wall and kitchen building. Most of the garden was surrounded by a low stone wall. That part was reserved for herbs - medical and culinary alike - along with vegetables and fruits. A small orchard was huddled behind the kitchen building. There was an additional part, between kitchen garden and temple wall, where flowers were grown. They were used as offerings during spring service mostly, but they also held a certain aesthetic value.

Not that Mayuzumi cared. This close to winter, there was little to behold of course.

“Does it have any point that we came here?” Mayuzumi made no attempt to keep the annoyance from his voice. The Cobalt King had announced his visit for the coming week and preparations were yet underway. It was of utmost importance that Kuroko appear at his very best. Which meant a haircut, a thorough body wash, excessive laundry and a few other things were in order. A stroll in the garden was rather detrimental to the general state of things.

“We’re here because we need to be here.” Kuroko offered with characteristic cryptic reticence.

“And why exactly do we need to be here? Is there a treasure buried in the cabbage field? Is a tree about to fall and you need to save a hedgehog from certain doom?” Mayuzumi’s irritation was spiked higher than usual. It was the King’s impending visit along with Kuroko’s strange mood, which never spelled well. The cold wasn’t helping either. His reaction was pettier than it needed to be.

“Not quite.” Kuroko stared at the sky. It was overcast with a high chance of rain. Mayuzumi didn’t need to be an oracle to see that much.

He made a show of sighing loudly to show his annoyance.

“Mayuzumi-kun should go inside.” Kuroko advised; eyes still trained on the sky.

Mayuzumi rolled his eyes. “Yeah, sure. As much as I’d like to see your pathetic attempts at climbing the wall, I’m not going to leave you to it. Just take your little walk and then we can go back inside.”

Kuroko stayed silent. He cut a forlorn silhouette against the empty grey sky. The cherry tree next to him overshadowed his small frame. To Mayuzumi he seemed quite lost.

This really wasn’t how he liked his days to go. Mayuzumi almost felt bad. The visits of the Cobalt King were a troublesome affair for all the temple staff, but none as much as Kuroko. And now, with the apparent wan of his ability, it could only get worse. As the one tasked with Kuroko’s well being, he was the one to pick up the pieces afterwards. And oh what a mess the King tended to leave.

Mayuzumi took a deep breath. “Okay, I know you don’t like the King’s visits, but he’ll be here for a few days and then it’ll be another few months before he shows his face again. Just,” Damn, this was way harder than it should be, “you can stay out here for as long as you want today, but tomorrow we’re going to start on the preparations, okay?”

Kuroko denied him answer and recognition alike.

Mayuzimi’s already thin wearing patience ran out completely. Playing nice didn’t help, well, he tried. Kuroko had only himself to blame for what would follow.

Just as Mayuzumi reached out to drag his charge back inside, Kuroko suddenly turned around. The look on his face arrested every movement Mayuzumi could have possibly made. He had never seen Kuroko looking this sad or distraught.

“Thank you Mayuzumi-kun. And I’m sorry.”

Mayuzumi didn’t have the time to process the words or anything much really, because just that moment, the wall behind them exploded. The shockwave threw him off his feet and Mayuzumi had his reflexes to thank that he didn’t hurt himself in the fall. He rolled on his side and into a crouching position to survey the damage. Kuroko was covered in stone dust but seemingly unharmed.

What happened next was so fast, Mayuzumi could barely keep up. Shapes appeared in the dust the explosion had kicked up. Intruders. They moved with practiced efficiency, seizing Kuroko from his crouch and pulling him out through the gaping hole they’d blasted into the temple wall.

Mayuzumi stumbled to his feet. “No.” He croaked, but the men paid him no heed. They wore dark clothes and had their faces covered in masks. He couldn’t let them get away, or else he would lose Kuroko forever. The thought was unbearable.

He stumbled after them, through the hole and onto the meadow behind. The temple was surrounded by a wide space of grass before a line of forest; behind which laid the small village that supplied the temple with goods.

He should wait for reinforcements, at least inform the temple guards of Kuroko’s abduction, but Mayuzumi was too fixated on his target. The men dragged an unresisting Kuroko along with little qualms to their captive’s wellbeing. Mayuzumi saw Kuroko stumbling a few times, only to be mercilessly dragged to his feet again. They were still in running distance.

Mayuzumi took a deep breath. There was no plan, just a target. He pushed forward with newfound determination. There was a good chance the men hadn’t even spotted him; his low presence served him well at times. His feet hit the ground with an assuring staccato, knocking right into the group of men who seemed to be taken by complete surprise. He managed to land one punch with a haphazardly thrown fist, but they recovered too fast for him to do more than that. He found himself on his knees with a knife pressed to his neck in a matter of seconds.

“Where the fuck did he come from?” One of the men asked angrily. “I thought the area was clear? Are there more of them or what?”

Another scanned the area. “I don’t think so. What are we going to do with him?”

“Kill him.” The man who had apprehended Kuroko said indifferently. “He has no value.”

Mayuzumi struggled, desperate to break free, but the man’s grip on him was too tight. The knife slipped to his throat.

“Don’t touch him.” Kuroko’s voice cut through them like a knife. Mayuzumi had never before heard him use that tone of voice. It commanded undivided attention, and everyone, Mayuzumi included obeyed. Kuroko stood, clothes torn and dirt streaked, but that moment he was surrounded by an aura of true regal majesty. “I will bite my tongue if you so much touch a hair on his body.” Kuroko’s voice left no doubt as to his conviction. Mayuzumi felt a so far unknown sense of awe.

The men exchanged glances.

“We can’t risk it.” The man who had given the order to kill him, finally said. He had shoulder long black hair and seemed to be the leader of the group. The man who had held down Mayuzumi pulled the knife away but maintained his grip on him. “No funny business,” he warned them both, “or I will take my risk with you.” He looked pointedly at Kuroko. “Hayama would you be so kind and accompany our new guest? He seems in need of assistance.” He added sweetly and Mayuzumi was roughly pulled to his feet. His hands were tied behind his back expertly, tight enough to cut off circulation. Mayuzumi hoped it would be a short journey.

“Can’t we just leave him here?” The third man, dark skinned and with a frame so bulky he could rival an armoire, asked.

The leader tutted. “We’ve already lost too much time. Giving our pursuers an indication where we’re headed would serve us little. Now let’s go.” The last words were spoken in a commanding voice and the group went off again. Mayuzumi was pushed along by Hayama who seemed to enjoy his ordeal immensely. Judging by the slight discoloration on his chin, the fact was nigh surprising.

Mayuzumi wanted desperately to ask where they were going, but he had an inkling that any kind of talk would serve him badly right now. He tried to make eye contact with Kuroko a few times, at least assess their situation, but his charge avoided contact.

They reached their destination shortly before nightfall. Kuroko had collapsed about two hours in, weak with fatigue and severely hypothermic. It had thrown their captors in quite a frenzy. In its wake Mayuzumi had been graciously allowed to share his body warmth with Kuroko - an endeavor that had proven little effective, but their travel was short, he was assured. It would have to do.

Mayuzumi was at the end of his rope when they finally reached a small cottage nestled into the side of the mountains that separated the lands of the Cobalt from the lands of the Scarlet in the East. He had carried Kuroko on his back, hands tied securely so that he couldn’t drop him even if he wanted to. Kuroko was light, but Mayuzumi’s strength had never laid in physical prowess.

Comfort only came from the soft tufts of breath that skirted his neck - a steady reminder that Kuroko was as well off as he could hope. The physical exertion extorted from him kept him from dwelling on the intimate importance Kuroko’s wellbeing had suddenly gained in his mind.

The cabin was lit by a fire dancing in the fireplace and a single candle resting solemnly on the one table within the main room. There were four chairs grouped around the table, a small cabinet in a corner and a bed that was barely more than a cot next to the wall opposite the single window. Dried meat and bushels of greenery hung from the ceilings. A stack of firewood lay ready next to the stone framed fireplace. The cabin held a single occupant. The man sat in one of the chairs, chin resting on the steeple of his fingers as he watched their entrance with the creepiest pair of eyes Mayuzumi had ever seen. One was eerily yellow, the other one a bright shade of red, complementary to the crown of red hair sitting atop his head.

Mayuzumi instantly felt on edge. Despite the prevalent danger of the entire situation, the man made his hackles rise further. Even more so that the man’s distinct hair color left little room for interpretation of his identity.

“Reo, I expected you earlier.” The man said without preamble.

The man addressed - the leader - bowed his head in deference. “We were deterred on the way. I deeply apologize for the inconvenience.” His tone was grating on Mayuzumi’s nerves, merely by merit of being so ingratiating. Even if the redhead _was_ who Mayuzumi thought he was, no one should have to prostate themselves. But that was merely his bitter experience speaking.

“I see.” The man said and his eyes landed on Mayuzumi. Opposed to his usual behavior, Mayuzumi felt the urge to kneel or bow down, anything to escape the sharp gaze of dichromatic eyes. There was a dangerous glint there, one that violently jerked on Mayuzumi’s flight response. Fight was a too abstract of a concept in the face of the man’s intensity.

“I do presume Tetsuya is unharmed?” It was phrased as a question, but only just so. “Put him down on the bed. I will have you questioned later.”

“His stamina gave out on the way.” Reo phrased his reply rather carefully and kept his eyes on a level below the man’s gaze.

Hayama meanwhile dragged Mayuzumi over to the bed and finally cut the ties on his hands. Kuroko stirred when they placed him on the bed and moments later his eyes fluttered open. He locked gazes with Mayuzumi. He’d made a move to rub the painful sting in his abused wrists, but the movement was aborted when he locked eyes with his charge. Kuroko’s eyes were the annoying kind that rarely displayed _anything_ even if his face was coaxed into an expression, but now they were full of an untold emotion Mayuzumi valiantly refused to label.

Hayama yanked him away from the bed. Mayuzumi tried to struggle to at least get some feeling back into his hands but he wasn’t strong enough. He ended up with his arms twisted painfully behind his back. At least now he knew they weren’t going to fall off.

“Tetsuya.” The man said. He had a smooth almost pleasant voice, but the way he intonated destroyed any pretense of pleasantness. It was the most accurate audible representation of a knife Mayuzumi had ever heard.

Kuroko struggled to sit up. He was back to guarded - his eyes gave nothing away of what went on behind his forehead. “Akashi-kun.” He greeted with astounding familiarity. Mayuzumi’s heart sank. So he had been right. The man was none other than Akashi Seijuro, the Scarlet Emperor and pretty much the bane of any Cobalt’s existence.

That he was after Kuroko could only mean bad things, that he and Kuroko seemed _familiar_ was even worse.

“Why did you bring me here?” Kuroko asked with an air of what could be petulancy.

“You should be aware of why.” Akashi said with a fake veneer of gentleness.

Kuroko frowned. “I do know what you will ask me. I also know that you know the answer I will give you. I do not know why you would risk exposition,” his eyes flickered to Mayuzumi for the barest of moments, before settling back on Akashi, “or why you would go the trouble of coming here, knowing you won’t get what you wanted. I do understand your goal.” Kuroko’s eyes were hard and oddly cold.

Mayuzumi carefully adjusted his evaluation. Kuroko was a brat as much as he was a mystery. And he was very obviously lying about not being able to see the future.

“Your willing cooperation is irrelevant to my goals. You must have seen what is to come, yet you let yourself be goaded along.”

“I can’t see everything.” Kuroko said blandly.

Akashi quirked an eyebrow. “A shame. Now, here is an interesting proposal. You know what I am going to ask and I know your answer. What does happen if I don’t ask? Knowing the future might be a feat but once you do, altering it is simple.” Akashi stood up from his seat and walked towards the bed with a measured pace. Kuroko remained where he was, but his eyes seemed to scream for Akashi to keep his distance.

Mayuzumi made another futile attempt at breaking free, but the hold Hayama had on him was too tight. Hayama punished his efforts with another twists and Mayuzumi groaned in pain.

“I would appreciate your support Tetsuya, but as I said. Your cooperation can be secured in a variety of manners. I will have you. One way or another.” He was looming now, standing over Kuroko’s small frame like a menacing shadow in red. Kuroko met his gaze steadily, but his hands were clutched tightly in the front of his torn gown.

“You can’t.” Kuroko’s voice was a small croak. It was the first time Mayuzumi had heard fear in his voice. His eyes were unfocused, drawn on something neither of them could see. It hit Mayuzumi as something of a shock when he realized Kuroko had a vision. Whatever he saw there scared him. “No.”Kuroko scooted backwards, eyes still distant, but there was only the wall behind him.

“Don’t fight it.” Akashi’s voice had dropped into a lower range of frequency. He took Kuroko’s hand and pulled him forward. Kuroko’ struggle was weak and aimless. “You should know that fighting me only makes it worse for you.”

Mayuzumi stared in incredulity as Kuroko’s resistance slowly waned. He still wasn’t looking at anything, but he let Akashi pull him forward and into his arms. Akashi carefully put Kuroko’s arms around him until he completely covered the smaller frame.

Reo and the bulky man were watching quietly from the table, while Hayama still held on to Mayuzumi’s arms. No one was going to do something it seemed. Mauzumi let out a strangle noise. He’d wanted to call Kuroko’s name, but the sound wouldn’t come. The scene was just too surreal to comprehend.

Hayama hissed into his ear to be quiet and wrenched his arm around. Mayuzumi couldn’t bite back the pain and let out a loud groan of pain.

The sound snapped Kuroko out of his trance. He violently shoved Akashi off him, catching the man by surprise. He would have toppled off the cot, but managed to hold on the last minute. He was surprised only for a moment before his face became a mask of unsuppressed rage.

“Do not touch me.” Kuroko growled, eyes blazing with so much anger it seemed to floor the entire room. “I won’t help your scheme. You want to push our world into chaos? Do it on your own. I won’t be an accomplice to your crimes.”

“That is too bad.” Akashi seemed to have recovered some, but his eyes still carried a crazed glint. “I told you, your cooperation is not needed.” Before anyone could react, he had grasped Kuroko by the throat and slammed him against the wall.

Mayuzumi surged forwards, only to be halted yet again by Hayama. “Don’t touch him.” He snarled, angrier than he’d ever been before in his life. He yanked on Hayama’s grip, the pain for once not registering in his frantic brain.

“No.” Kuroko’s outcry shocked him out of his haze. There was a terrible pain in his left arm, like someone had twisted it off. He tried to move, but even the tiniest motion sent red hot pain through his arm. Kuroko’s eyes were terrified.

Mayuzumi felt bile rising as panic swept over him. He was afraid of what he would see when he looked at his arm.

“So that’s how it is.” Akashi’s anger was gone completely; instead it was replaced with a dangerous kind of amusement. “How odd for you to get attached.” Akashi waved and the big bulky man walked over to take over on holding Tetsuya down. Akashi made his way to their side and Mayuzumi felt cold dread settle in his stomach. He tried to get away but the pain in his arm prevented any movement.

“You shouldn’t struggle or Kotaro will dislocate your other arm too.” Akashi said almost casually. Mayuzumi thought the world was going to black out around him. He risked a glance sideways and sure enough his lower arm seemed to have twisted out of the elbow joint. Mayuzumi bent over and emptied the contents of his stomach onto the wooden floorboards.

Akashi merely sighed. “I will make this simple for you. Tetsuya gives me what I want and you might even have a chance to walk out of here with your body more or less intact. Tetsuya keeps refusing me, you die.” He turned and lanced at Kuroko back on the bed. “Take a good look Tetsuya.” He said with a sickeningly sweet voice. “I won’t hold back until I get what I want.”

Kuroko shuddered. His eyes were far away again, but this time he pulled himself back from his vision forcefully. “Lay a hand on him…”

“And what? I thought you were smart enough to understand the situation. Need I show you more?”

Kuroko whimpered. Tears were leaking from his eyes and he shot a desperate glance at Mayuzumi. Was that an _apology?_ “I’ll tell you.” He said, voice shaking. “Please, don’t hurt him.”

Akashi’s smile was triumphant.

Despite his better knowledge, Mayuzumi found himself protesting. “Don’t.” His voice was weak and he couldn’t quite keep the pain from it. “Don’t give him anything, Kuroko.” He urged. Mayuzumi could only guess what Akashi was after, but judging by the lengths he was willing to go to, it couldn’t be anything good. It couldn’t be left alone if it unsettled Kuroko as much as it did.

Kuroko flinched. His eyes were wide and open, as though he was begging Mayuzumi to understand. And he did. He wished he didn’t, but he did. He would have acted the exact same after all, if their positions were reversed.

Mayuzumi could only watch as Kuroko spilled his secrets to Akashi. He could make moderate sense of it, but his thoughts were muddled with the pain in his arm. Akashi wanted power, that much was a given. And he extracted the knowledge of future events from Kuroko to use for his own means. Mayuzumi could only guess how he would twist the happenings in his favor. At first Kuroko merely listed what he had seen, the Cobalt King’s impending visit, where he would go afterwards, details about the Amber Sheikh’s imminent marriage, the Viridian Prince’s war efforts and lastly the Amethyst Lord’s trade expansion. Small details, but then Akashi started asking question. And Kuroko delivered, no matter how detailed the question was, Kuroko supplied the answer.

It seemed to take hours, with Mayuzumi slipping in and out of conscience. The pain had ebbed some, but his body had been weakened already from the strenuous walk here. It was all he could do not to collapse into Hayama’s arms.

He should have known, Mayuzumi supposed. There was no way Akashi would let them walk away. But pain had a way of overtaking his brain, so when Akashi was done with his questions, Mayuzumi was slow to follow what was happening next. Akashi gave a sign and the bulky man got up to pick up Kuroko from the cot. There was a spark of panic in Kuroko’s eyes and he put up an effort to struggle.

Mayuzumi understood a moment too late. Red invaded his vision and something cold bit into his stomach, a sharp pain that blinded even the agony in his elbow. He tried to move, get away from the bite of steel in his stomach, but there was no strength, no space, just the deafening noise of the world crushing in on him - a needle point of vision that centered on beautiful sky blue.

“It’s a shame; you did not see this coming.” The voice - Akashi - pierced through his foggy mind like a blade. Mayuzumi clung to the pain in his body, clung to it like a lifeline and used it to pull himself from the dulled edge of his mind.

Vision cleared in front of his eyes. The scene had shifted; he was no longer upright but sprawled on the floor. Blood pooled around him in slow steady pulses, leaking from around the knife that was still embedded in his stomach. The pain was excruciating and it took all his willpower to keep from blacking out. Every shift moved the knife against his innards; he felt it cut deeper with every labored breath he took.

Akashi looked down on him with an expression one reserved for worms and insects.

Hayama and Reo were gone. Kuroko’s face was pale and frozen in shock. He seemed unable to look away from Mayuzumi and he felt the ridiculous urge to comfort Kuroko. Mayuzumi knew he was dying. A gut wound was a certain death sentence - slow and painful, because Akashi couldn’t have just cut his throat.

He should have been furious by all accounts. But all Mayuzumi felt - next to agonizing pain - was regret. He didn’t want Kuroko to see him like this - out of pride he told himself. He didn’t want to leave Kuroko alone - out of obligation he told himself. Not the worst lie he had ever wanted to belief.

He tasted blood on his tongue.

Akashi smirked one last time, as though Mayuzumi’s expression had given him exactly what he wanted. He turned around and waved for the bulky man to follow him with Kuroko. Kuroko threw himself forward, towards Mayuzumi and away from his captors, desperate, clawing -futile.

Mayuzumi reacted without thinking. Regret fused into anger and a hatred so deep he’d never felt anything alike before. The mercenary in him knew that pulling out the blade was the worst course of action he could take, but he didn’t care. The handle was slippery in his hand, treacherous, but Mayuzumi’s anger tightened his grip into a vise.

It was madness.

The bulky man reached out to stop him, but was thwarted by Kuroko’s renewed attempt to break away. Akashi was half through the door, turned around at the commotion behind him, only to find himself face to face with Mayuzumi.

“Too bad you couldn’t predict _this_.” He hissed, splattering blood on Akashi’s face - surprised now, and all the smug overconfidence wiped away by the knife in his abdomen. The heart would have been a better target - Mayuzumi being the yet living proof - but he hadn’t had the strength to lift his arm high enough to do so. Akashi’s eyes were shocked and oh so red. The golden color had drained away completely, leaving a look of vulnerability and pain. It seemed as though he was looking at a completely different man.

Akashi’s mouth moved, an attempt to speak, but Mayuzumi didn’t wait to listen. He twisted the knife viciously, yanking it upwards as far as it would go. He watched as the life fled from Akashi’s eyes. When he fell, Mayuzumi fell with him.

It felt like hours had passed, but it could have only been a few seconds. There was no sound except for the frantic tattoo of his heartbeat. The world blurred around the edges and the pain lapped at his conscience in waves that grew bigger and bigger until everything was swallowed in black.

A sharp sting to his cheek brought the world back into focus. A slap should no longer have the power to do that. His mind was half crazed with pain, and yet that thought hit him with startling clarity.

Kuroko was crying. There was no telling how much time had passed. Akashi was dead that much was certain. His men must have left then, no use to hang around when their boss was out of commission for good. What a shame that Mayuzumi was dying too.

“I’m sorry.” Kuroko’s voice was as frantic as his hands. He pressed them down on Mayuzumi’s stomach, fighting against the leak of blood, but it was pointless. Mayuzumi thought it would be better to let him bleed to death. That way was surely faster and less painful. But he couldn’t bring himself to say anything.

Tears spilled from Kuroko’s face on his. Even through the pain and haze of his mind, he could still feel the impact. There was a saying about oracles. They could see into their own future by virtue of others whose fate was entangled with theirs. But the one thing they absolutely couldn’t see was the death of the person they loved. He had never asked if it was true.

Mayuzumi lifted his hand. His left arm was useless, but he could still do this. Kuroko’s cheek was wet and cool. He caught the next tear with his thumb and gently rubbed it away. “Tetsu…ya.” His tongue struggled on every syllable. Struggled to wrap around a name he’d never spoken before. “Don’t… cry…” He whispered. He wanted to ask for a smile, one last smile before the curtains of darkness. There was no strength left.

The last thing his dying eyes saw was an endless sky of beautiful blue.


End file.
